Accused repeatedly returned to scene of Simon Holdsworth’s murder - and laid wreath

Chris Burn

A Sheffield factory worker accused of beating a colleague to death repeatedly returned to the murder scene in the days after the attack – laying a wreath on one occasion, a court heard.

Shaun Wainwright, is alleged to have killed Sheffield dad Simon Holdsworth on playing fields by Rainbow Forge Primary School in Hackenthorpe on the evening of December 16, 2013.

FBS Prestige, Birley Vale Avenue. Picture: Andrew Roe

It is alleged Wainwright ‘lay in wait’ for Mr Holdsworth in the dark and beat him to death with a blunt instrument, believed possibly to be a section of iron bar he had taken from work some months before.

Peter Moulson QC, prosecuting, told a jury at Teeside Crown Court in Middlesbrough yesterday that Wainwright had made a ‘number of visits to the scene of the killing between December 17 and 23’.

Temporary Detective Superintendent Phil Etheridge who is leading the investigation into the murder of Simon Holdsworth gave a press conference at the scene were Simons body was discovered in a field off Birley Spa Lane, Hackenthorpe on Wednesday

The court also heard Wainwright told acquaintances details ‘only the killer and police could have known’ in the days after the murder.

Wainwright is said to have told different people that Mr Holdsworth had his mobile phone and gold chain stolen from him after he was beaten to death.

Mr Moulson said that information was only made public by the police on January 3, 2014 - nine days after the second of two separate conversations in which Wainwright is alleged to have spoken about the details of the investigation.

“Only the killer and police knew of those details,” he said.

CCTV footage was played to the jury of Wainwright in UK Bullion on Ecclesall Road on the day after the murder selling a piece of jewellery, which the prosecution say was Mr Holdsworth’s gold chain.

The stolen mobile phone has never been recovered.

Mr Holdsworth’s body was found on the playing fields on the morning of December 17 by a member of the public.

He had wounds to the back of his head and had a fractured skull, with the injuries consistent with being attacked with a blunt weapon.

Both Wainwright and Mr Holdsworth had worked at FBS Prestige on Birley Vale Avenue and had been on the same shift the night before.

Mr Holdsworth was a 36-year-old father who was engaged to be married to his partner Carleen McKeown.

Mr Moulson said that Wainwright knew the way Mr Holdsworth walked back after work to his home on Westfield Avenue.

He said Wainwright had parked his car close to the playing fields moments before the attack took place.

Mr Moulson said: “The defendant was obviously concealed by the dark at the time of night and possibly by a hedgerow within the playing fields.

“Simon Holdsworth was only a few metres into his walk when the defendant attacked him.

“The defendant struck a number of blows to his head with a bar or bat. The blows were delivered with severe force.

“Simon Holdsworth died at the scene.

“After the attack, the defendant left the scene, returned to his vehicle and drove away a couple of minutes or so after, later that evening arriving at his home address.”

Mr Moulson said the jury will be shown CCTV footage during the course of the trial showing Wainwright’s car in the vicinity of the attack.

He added: “It is also true the defendant lied repeatedly to the police concerning his whereabouts at crucial times that evening. He refused to answer questions put to him by the police.”

Mr Moulson said two gloves with the defendant’s DNA were later recovered from close to the scene of the killing.

No details were given in court about a potential motive for the attack.

The jury were also told CCTV footage captured defendant Wainwright arriving home about 20 minutes after Mr Holdsworth was killed.

Wainwright originally told police that he had driven straight home from work after an evening shift at FBS Prestige.

Mr Holdsworth is believed to have been killed at around 11.15pm at night and Wainwright originally claimed that he had got home at around 11.05pm after leaving work about 10 minutes before.

He said he had driven straight home, then let his dogs out, drank a can of beer and then watched the film Deep Blue Sea - which he said he had been discussing with Mr Holdsworth at work that day.

But the prosecution say CCTV footage shown to the jury shows Wainwright’s car actually arriving home at Dagnam Road in Arbourthorne at 11.37pm that night - more than 30 minutes later than he had originally claimed.

When he was arrested on January 14, 2014, Wainwright originally maintained his account that he had got home at 11.05pm.

After being shown the CCTV footage, Peter Moulson QC, prosecuting, said Wainwright had then told police he offered a different explanation - saying he had driven a different route home and it was not him in the CCTV seen getting out of the car shown on the video.

Mr Moulson said Wainwright made no comment when questioned about why he changed his account.

Mr Moulson said CCTV experts will tell the jury later in the trial they believe Wainwright’s vehicle is visible in footage close to the scene of the killing.

“We say it shows the defendant’s vehicle going to the scene of the killing, remaining there while he carried out the attack the killing and leaving after he had done so.”